US 11,987,049 B2
Method of forming a feature by dispensing a metallic nanoparticle composition from an ink-jet print head and a metallic nanoparticle composition for ink-jet printing
Mateusz Lysien, Żywiec (PL); Ludovic Schneider, Wrocław (PL); Grzegorz Tarapata, Czersk (PL); and Filip Granek, Mrozów (PL)
Assigned to XTPL S.A., Wroclaw (PL)
Appl. No. 18/247,536
Filed by XTPL S.A., Wrocław (PL)
PCT Filed Feb. 11, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/051232
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 31, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/172210, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 18, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/148,701, filed on Feb. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373209 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/045 (2006.01); C09D 11/033 (2014.01); C09D 11/037 (2014.01); C09D 11/106 (2014.01); C09D 11/322 (2014.01); C09D 11/36 (2014.01); C09D 11/52 (2014.01)
CPC B41J 2/04588 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04581 (2013.01); C09D 11/033 (2013.01); C09D 11/037 (2013.01); C09D 11/106 (2013.01); C09D 11/322 (2013.01); C09D 11/36 (2013.01); C09D 11/52 (2013.01); B41J 2202/03 (2013.01)] 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a feature by dispensing a metallic nanoparticle composition from an ink-jet print head, comprising the steps of:
configuring the ink-jet print head comprising a pumping chamber connected to a source of the metallic nanoparticle composition, a piezoelectric actuator mechanically coupled to the pumping chamber for expanding and contracting the pumping chamber, and a nozzle opening connected to the pumping chamber;
at a jetted pixel, applying a jetting drive signal to the piezoelectric actuator to dispense droplets of the metallic nanoparticle composition through the nozzle opening, the droplets ranging in volume between 0.5 picoliter and 2.0 picoliter, the jetting drive signal comprising a jetting waveform;
wherein the jetting waveform comprises an intermediate contraction waveform portion, a final contraction waveform portion after the intermediate contraction waveform portion, and an expansion waveform portion after the final contraction waveform portion;
during the intermediate contraction waveform portion, an applied voltage of the jetting drive signal increases from an initial low voltage to an intermediate voltage and is then held at the intermediate voltage;
during the final contraction waveform portion, the applied voltage increases from the intermediate voltage to a maximum voltage Vmax and is then held at the maximum voltage;
during the expansion waveform portion, the applied voltage decreases from the maximum voltage Vmax to a final low voltage;
the intermediate voltage is in a range of 63% to 83% of the maximum voltage Vmax; and
the initial low voltage and the final low voltage do not exceed 30% of the maximum voltage Vmax,
wherein the jetting drive signal additionally comprises a quiescent waveform after the jetting waveform, the applied voltage during the quiescent waveform does not exceed 30% of the maximum voltage, and a duration of the jetting waveform and a duration of the quiescent waveform sum to 0.2 millisecond or greater;
the jetting waveform additionally comprises a priming waveform portion before the intermediate contraction waveform portion;
during the priming waveform portion, the applied voltage decreases from a voltage level of the other quiescent waveform to the initial low voltage and is then held at the initial low voltage; and
the initial low voltage does not exceed 10% of the maximum voltage.